Ohio Northern Beats Trine in Extra Innings, 4-3

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May 7, 2009, Greencastle, Ind. —  Liz Decima's one-out single to center in the bottom of the ninth scored Mandi Fought and lifted top-seed and fourth-ranked Ohio Northern to a 4-3 win over fourth-seed Trine in the day's final game in the first round of the NCAA Division III Softball Championship.

The Polar Bears improved to 36-3 and face Defiance on Friday at 2 p.m., while the Thunder finished their season at 29-12.

Lisa Light pinch hit with one out in the ninth for pitcher Cortney Cash and singled to left. Cash came back in to run and was thrown out at third on Fought's single. Fought was able to advance to second on the throw and then came home on Decima's single.

Fought led off the first with a double and scored on Tina Mangola's homer to center. Trine came back in the third as Sara Hivley reached on an error and moved to third on Sallie Richardson's double. Kara Graham followed with a homer to right center to give the Thunder a 3-2 lead.

Ohio Northern knotted the score at 3-3 in the fifth when Cash led off with a bunt single and moved to second on Fought's grounder. Decima delivered the game-tying single up the middle.

Trine had a runner on third with one out in the sixth, but Cash struck out Hively and got Richardson to ground out to first. In the top of the ninth the Thunder had runners on first and third with one out, but Cash struck out the last two batters to end the threat.

The Polar Bears totaled 14 hits led by Decima's three and two each from Fought, Cassie Gaye and Jackie Mangola. Richardson and Graham each had three of Trine's 11 hits and Jessica Hutchinson added a pair.

Cash improved to 25-1 and struck out 11, while Lauren Hudson dropped to 12-4 with the loss.